It’s a meaningless stat because the tackles are still going to be made, no matter who makes them. The relevant question is, “Will the tacklers on this year’s team be better than the ones on last year’s team (and give up fewer yards per play)?”

What makes this whole concept insignificant to me is the way Steele is quantifying tackling experience. If a team is returning 100% of its tacklers who gave up 10 yards per carry, does that have any real meaning? Sure, they may get “significantly better,” but the bar was pretty low to begin with. I guess he’ll prove his point if at the end of the season Arizona has one of the top defenses and Georgia has one of the worst. And let’s see how Trey Matthews does with no experience.

You have to assume the coaches were putting in not simply “a senior” or “an experienced player” but the best tackler at every position regardless of their class or experience. So if the previous tacklers were giving up 10 yards per carry, we have to assume the fellows behind them would have given up more.

HOWEVER – it may be that our players on D were the best in general, but did not always give their best effort. We can hope the guys behind them have worked extra hard this off season, and our freshmen are working hard as well. I personally love the idea of more competition and some new blood on the defense.

Still, on a Friday afternoon you never like to see your team ranked dead last in anything, even if it is a contrived statistic. Except maybe the Fulmer Cup. It makes me think how much we will miss guys like Jones and Ogletree. As contrition I think you owe us some Dawg Porn.

However … If some of the non-returning tacklers were absolutely real “bell cows” for your defense, meaning other offensive coordinators sought those particular players out when viewing film and scheming game plans, it means a hell of a lot. Be interesting to go back and look at UGA’s defensive stats and records in the year following a stalwart defensive group (or player’s) graduation/turning pro (Pollack, Thurman, etc.). We have young guys who will tackle … but do we have guys on D that can LEAD or step up and take over a game when the overall defense is struggling (see: 2012 Missouri)?

I wouldn’t say the stat is meaningless because making tackles is a primary objective of any defense, and we clearly lost some of our top finishers from last year’s defense. The main concern I have is getting players in the position to make tackles and defend passes. If we accomplish that with the talented newcomers we have on board, I won’t worry about the result, they will get the ball carrier down and knock/intercept the passes. That is the easier part. I still feel the defense will out perform expectations in 2013, and the offense will fall short. The degree, and timing, of those two things will determine how satisfied we fans will be in December.

It was already scary as hell. But look on the bright side, Steele ranked S.Car. defensive line #1 in the SEC (#3 nationally). So we should only have a little more difficulty with them than we did last year.

True to dat. There is a continuing predisposition to stroke the infernal Spurrier Axis per the perceptions of hidebound journalists. None of it is worth a plug nickel. Dawgs will disprove it between the white lines.

Well, a couple of year ago everyone was gnashing their teeth about our lack of receivers and where would the catches come from! Up stepped Bennett & Mitchell and others. I think it will all be about attitude from our young defenders, but I’m thinking they surprise some folks.

Not worried. Have a friend who has a friend that has two sons who are thinking about UGA. Already have feelers from Bama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. Dude, Steele, you must be crazy. These boys have the bleachers already reporting how they can bring the hits to the leathe. They are part of the 2018 class.